ABB boosts technology base with 3 new acquisitions in January

Swedish-Swiss multinational ABB has made three major technology acquisitions in January that the company says will cement its capabilities in core business areas such as utility, manufacturing, transportation and infrastructure.

ABB on Thursday announced the signing of an agreement to acquire a majority stake in software service provider Meshmind to expand its research and development capabilities in AI, Industrial IoT and machine vision. The acquisition will bring engineering talent, AI and software knowledge, helping ABB to form a new global R&D hub for innovative automation solutions, the company said.

“AI-powered robotics and automation have the power to transform industries, providing businesses with greater flexibility and intelligence amidst critical global trends and workforce challenges,” said Sami Atiya, president, ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation Business Area. 

“Through this acquisition, we will further accelerate the development of our software and AI-powered solutions to make automation more adaptive and accessible, enabling businesses of all sizes to become more resilient,” he added.

ABB will absorb Meshmind’s approximately 50 employees and expand collaboration with its own B&R teams in a range of R&D projects, including deep learning vision systems, AI-enabled engineering tools, and IoT app development. The new team will work from the office in Sarajevo, Bosnia, which will serve as B&R’s new global hub for AI and software development. 

B&R, founded in 1979 by Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer, in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria, is part of ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation division providing automation solutions to machines and factories.

Financial details of the transaction that is expected to close in Q1 2024 were not disclosed.

This follows ABB’s acquisition of Swiss start-up Sevensense, a leader in AI-based navigation that develops tools for achieving high speed, accuracy and autonomy in mobile robots, earlier this month. Sevensense is a leader in AI-enabled 3D vision navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). 

ABB said the acquisition will accelerate its capabilities in software engineering and AI-based applications, including machine learning and vision.

Sevensense will serve as ABB’s new R&D hub for developing AI-powered solutions for ABB’s Machine Automation division (B&R) that serves industries in the logistics and manufacturing sectors, the company said.

“With the acquisition of Sevensense, ABB becomes the leader in next-generation AMRs, offering Visual SLAM in Autonomous Mobile Robots, together with an integrated portfolio covering robots and machine automation solutions, all managed by our value-creating software,” Marc Segura, president of ABB’s Robotics Division, said.

Sevensense’s navigation technology combines AI and 3D vision, enabling AMRs to make intelligent decisions even in dynamic environments. Once manually guided, mobile robots with Visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (Visual SLAM) technology create a map that is used to operate independently, reducing commissioning time from weeks to days and enabling the AMRs to navigate in highly complex, dynamic environments alongside people. Maps can be updated constantly and shared across the fleet, offering instant scalability without interrupting operations.

ABB’s AI-enabled navigation technology is already being used in automotive manufacturing and logistics sectorsrations. US automotive manufacturer Ford is using Visual SLAM enabled ABB AMR in production sites, while Michelin plans to use the technology in intralogistics at its factory in Spain. Other automotive manufacturers will roll out the technology in the UK, Finland and Germany, according to ABB.

ABB had, on 8 January 2024, announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Canadian company Real Tech, a leading supplier of innovative optical sensor technology that enables real-time water monitoring and testing. 

ABB said the acquisition will help expand its strong presence in the water segment and complement its product portfolio with optical sensor technology critical for smart water management.

Acquisition underlines ABB’s strategic investment focus on innovative AI solutions transforming industries, such as logistics and manufacturing, it added.

ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, and a pioneer in optimising product solutions connecting engineering know-how and software. Building on more than 140 years of excellence, ABB employs over 105,000 employees across the world.